The War in Europe and North Africa

The Main Idea After entering World War II, the United States focused first on the war in Europe. Reading Focus How and why did the Allies fight the Battle of the Atlantic? What were the key events of the war in the Soviet Union? What did American forces accomplish in North Africa and Italy? What were the events and significance of the Allies D-Day invasion of France? How and why did the Allies fight the Battle of the Atlantic? Defeating the Axis Powers depended on control of the seas. The Atlantic needed to be kept safe for shipping so that soldiers and goods could be transported from the United States to the other Allied nations. Germany had a very powerful navy including with new surface ships (including the giant Bismarck) and Uboats. German used new tactics to increase U-boat effectiveness such as the so-called wolf pack. U-boats sent hundreds of ships and tons of supplies to the bottom of the sea. At the same time, the German navy lost few of their boats. The entry of the United States into the war would help turn the tide in the Battle of the Atlantic. The Allies Fight the Battle of the Atlantic Ships and aircrafts American shipyards began producing new ships at an amazing rate. The new ships were used to form larger, better-equipped convoys, which cut down on the effectiveness of U-boat attacks. Allied aircraft protected convoys from the air. Cracking the Enigma The Allies broke the German code system, which was called the Enigma. The Allies began to gain vital information about the locations and plans of U-boat formations. Finally, the Allies had an advantage over the Germans WORLD WAR II IN THE SOVIET UNION 1. Hitler broke his nonaggression pack with Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. The Soviets then joined the Allies as enemies of the Axis Powers. At first the Soviets seemed unable to stop the German blitzkrieg; however, the bitterly cold Russian winter proved a great ally. Still, the Germans held a vast portion of the western Soviet Union and besieged the city of Leningrad. 2. The Germans attacked Stalingrad in August 1942. The Soviets refused to let Stalingrad fall, and Hitler suffered a stunning defeat in early 1943. 3. Stalingrad marked the beginning of Germanys collapse in the Soviet Union. Soviet forces pushed Germany out of Russia, but lost 12 million soldiers and millions of civilians. American Forces in North Africa and Italy Why was North Africa important? By controlling North Africa, the British could protect shipping on the Mediterranean Sea. They needed the ability to ship oil from the Middle East through the Suez Canal. What was the result of fighting in North Africa? Italy could not drive the British from Egypt. Hitler sent troops under the direction of Erwin Rommel nicknamed the Desert Fox. After a back-and-forth battle for North Africa, the Allied forces handed the Germans a major defeat at the battle of El Alamein. What happened in Italy? British and American forces invaded Italy in 1943. The Italian people forced Mussolini from power, but Hitler rushed into Italy to stop the Allies.

To end the war as quickly as possible, the Allies planned Operation Overlorda large invasion of mainland France. The Allies landed at Normandy on June 6, 1944called D-Dayand began to march on France. The Battle of the Bulge became a symbol of American strength and determination.

The Holocaust The Main Idea During the Holocaust, Germanys Nazi government systematically murdered some 6 million Jews and 5 million others in Europe. Reading Focus What was the history of the Nazi anti-Semitism? What was the Nazi governments Final Solution? How did the United States respond to the Holocaust? The History of Nazi Anti-Semitism Anti- Semitism Hostility toward or prejudice against Jews Hitlers Views Told Germans that they came from a superior race the Aryans Used the Jews as a scapegoat someone to blame for Germanys woes after World War I History of Jews in Germany Jews lived in Germany for 1,600 years. Hostility toward Jews existed since the Middle Ages. Anti-Jewish Nazi laws mirrored medieval efforts to humiliate Jews. Anti-Semitism changed from prejudice based on religion to hatred based on ancestry. Nazi Anti-Semitism Hitler in Power Began campaign against Jews soon after becoming chancellor Established a series of anti-Semitic laws intended to drive Jews from Germany Laws stripped Jews of their citizenship and took away most civil and economic rights. Laws defined who was a Jew. Attacks on Jews Many Germans supported Hitlers anti-Semitic ideas. Discrimination and violent attacks against Jews continued. Anti-Jewish riots broke out in an attack called Kristallnacht. Jews were sent to concentration camps, killed, and fined for the attack Fleeing Germany Over 100,000 managed to leave Germany after Kristallnacht. Others found it difficult to leave the country as Nazi laws had left many without money or property. Many countries were unwilling to take in poor immigrants. The United States limited the number of Germans immigrants. The Nazi Governments Final Solution World War II brought many of Europes 9 million Jews under the control of the Nazi SS. Concentration camps were built in Germany and in other countries that the Germans occupied. The camps were prisons for Jews and others considered enemies of Hitlers regime. Conditions in the camps were horrific. The Nazis also established ghettos to control and punish Jews. Ghettos are neighborhoods in a city to which a group of people are confined. Life in the Jewish ghettos was desperate. The worst ghetto was in Warsaw, Poland. In 1941 Hitler called for the total destruction of all of Europes Jews. At first mobile killing unitsEinsatzgruppenmassacred Jews. Then, Nazi officials adopted a plan known as the Final Solution.

Concentration Camps, Ghettos, and the Final Solution Camps Prisons for Jews, prisoners-of-war, and enemies of the Nazi regime Inmates received little food and were forced to labor. The combination of overwork and starvation was intended to kill. Punishment for minor offenses was swift, sure, and deadly. Ghettos Walls or fences kept the Jews inside and those trying to leave were shot. Food was scarce; starvation was rampant. Diseases spread rapidly. The worst ghetto was in Warsaw, Poland. Some Jews in the Warsaw ghettothe Jewish Fighting Organizationfought back. The Final Solution Genocide the killing of an entire people Involved building 6 new extermination camps for Jews Inmates were exposed to poison gas in specially built chambers. 3 million Jews died in extermination camps. 3 million Jews and 5 million others were killed by the Nazi using other means The American response to the Holocaust Despite knowing about Hitlers policies toward the Jews and events such as Kristallnacht, American immigration limited the number of Jews who could move to the United States. In 1942, Americans officials began to hear about what was happening to the Jews in Europe and specifically about Hitlers Final Solution. The Americans were doubtful at first and thought the reports might just be war rumors. Finally in 1944, Roosevelt created the War Refugee Board. Through this board, the United States was able to help 200,000 Jews. The American Response Liberating the Nazi Camps In 1944, Soviet troops began to discover some of the Nazi death camps. By 1945 they reached the huge extermination camp at Auschwitz. Their reports gave proof of Hitlers terrible plan. Also in 1945, American soldiers came upon concentration camps. Many camp inmates died after being rescued, but some were still strong enough to survive. The Nuremberg trials Many Nazis faced trial for their roles in the Holocaust. The court was located at Nuremberg, Germany. The court was called the International Military Tribunal. Twenty two Nazis were tried for war crimes, including Hermann Gering. Since Nuremberg, several Nazis have been captured and tried in different courts, including Israel. The War in the Pacific The Main Idea After early defeats in the Pacific, the United States gained the upper hand and began to fight its way island by island to Japan. Reading Focus Why did the Allies experience a slow start in the Pacific? How did the Allies bring about a shift in their fortunes in the Pacific? What were the major events that marked Allied progress in the late stages of the Pacific war? A Slow Start in the Pacific The attack on Pearl Harbor did significant damage to the U.S. Pacific Fleet and it took months to overcome the attack. The Allies decided to focus their energy and resources on defeating the Axis in Europe. The Japanese won a quick string of impressive victories following Pearl Harbor. Drove American forces from Wake Island and Guam Captured the British stronghold at Hong Kong Took control of the Dutch East Indies (known as Indonesia today) and British Borneo

Damaged the Allied navies in the Battle of Java Sea Conquered British-controlled Burma The Japanese soldiers were highly skilled and well trained. The Japanese military had excellent equipment.

Allied Advances in the Pacific James Doolittle Army Lieutenant Colonel Led a group of 16 American bombers on a daring air raid of Tokyo and several other Japanese cities Doolittles raid did not do major damage to the Japanese targets, but it did give the American people something to celebrate and worried Japans leaders. Fortunes Shift in the Pacific Victory in the Battle of Coral Sea Battle of Coral Sea Japan prepared to invade New Guinea. U.S. Admiral Chester Nimitz sent two aircraft carriers to stop the attack. The Americans lost an aircraft carrier in the battle but stopped the Japanese attack. First time the Japanese advance had been halted Victory in the Battle of Midway Battle of Midway Japan tried to lure the Americans into a large sea battle around Midway Island. Naval officers had broken a Japanese code and learned of the plan. Nimitz devised a plan to thwart the attack and placed his 3 aircraft carriers carefully. The Americans destroyed 3 of the 4 Japanese carriers and won a major victory. Allied 1. 2. 3. 4. Progress in the Pacific Gained control of territory in the Solomon Islands to protect Australia Used powerful combination of land, sea, and air forces to capture key islands Captured locations in the Gilbert, Marshall, Caroline, and Mariana islands Took advantage of American industrial power by replacing ships and aircrafts, which Japan was unable to do 5. European successes allowed more resources to be made available in the Pacific. 6. Recaptured the Philippines 7. Captured strategic Japanese islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa

Iwo Jima and Okinawa Iwo Jima In February 1945 American forces set out to capture Iwo Jima. The island would provide a good base to launch raids against major Japanese cities. For the first time, Japanese soldiers were fighting for and on Japanese land. The Japanese fought ferociously and refused to surrender. The Allies eventually won Okinawa Allied troops invaded on April 1, 1945. The island was to be the launching pad for the final invasion of Japan. It was a bloody battle; more than 12,000 American died at the Battle of Okinawa. Like Iwo Jima, the Japanese refused to surrender and lost a staggering 110,000 troops. Allies gained control of the island in June 1945. American Support for the War Roosevelt called on the nation to protect the four freedoms freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The Office of War Information spread propaganda, or information and ideas designed to promote a cause. Examples included posters encouraging people to join the armed forces or to save gasoline. The OWI also warned the public about the dangers they faced. Hollywood made a series of patriotic films that featured soldiers and workers on the home front. Sometimes the drive to influence public attitudes led to conflict. For example, the Barnette ruling argued that Americans could not be forced to salute the flag.

World War II Ends The Main Idea While the Allies completed the defeat of the Axis Powers on the battlefield, Allied leaders were making plans for the postwar world. Reading Focus How did the Allies defeat Germany and win the war in Europe? How did the Allies defeat Japan and win the war in the Pacific? What challenges faced the United States after victory? Winning the War in Europe After the Battle of the Bulge, Germany had few soldiers left to defend the homeland. Germany faced 4 million Allied troops on its western border and millions more Soviet troops to the east. The Big Three Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin met in Yalta to make plans for the end of the war and the peace that was to follow. Allied forces made their way across the Rhine River, which was a key barrier to the center of Germany. Roosevelt decided to leave Berlin to the Soviets. In April of 1945 Hitler realized that the war was lost and committed suicide in his Berlin bunker. The Yalta Conference Allied leaders Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalinthe so-called Big Threemet in the resort town of Yalta in the Soviet Union to discuss the end of the war and the peace that was to follow. A key goal was to determine what to do with Germany. The leaders agreed to divide the country into four sectors. The Americans, Soviets, British, and French would each occupy one of these sectors. Berlin was also divided into four sectors.

Another agreement had to do with the fate of Poland and other Eastern European countries now occupied by the Soviets. Stalin agreed to hold elections in these countries after the war. Stalin also said that the Soviet Union would declare war on Japan three months after Germany was defeated. Winning the War in Europe Crossing the Rhine Hitler ordered his troops to make a stand at the Rhine River. Despite the fact that the Germans blew up many of the bridges across the Rhine to slow the Allies, they managed to cross at Remagen. The decision to defend the river turned out to be one of Hitlers military mistakes. The Berlin Question Some Allied leaders wanted to capture Berlin before the Soviets did. Eisenhower decided not to try to get to Berlin before the Soviets. He believed the battle for Berlin would be bloody. Allied leaders had already agreed on how to divide Berlin. Hitlers Death On April 30, 1945, Hitler realized that all hope for a German victory was lost. He committed suicide in his Berlin bunker. Berlin surrendered on May 2, 1945. Karl Dnitz, who had taken over as Germanys leader, agreed to a surrender on May 7, which would take place the following day. In the United States, May 8 was proclaimed V-E DayVictory in Europe Day. Winning the War in the Pacific The cost of capturing Okinawa were high. High rates of battle-related psychological casualties Thousands suffered from battle fatigue and other disorders. Many dreaded the possibility of invading the major islands of Japan. General MacArthur and Admiral Nimitz developed plans for a massive invasion of Japan. A new bombing tactic was used on Japanese cities, one designed to produce tremendous firestorms in the bombed area. Some Japanese leaders began to see the need for peace and began to contact the Soviet Union. President Harry S Truman decided to drop an atomic bomb on Japan. Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945. The Atomic Bomb Harry S Truman became president when Roosevelt died. He had to decide whether the United States should use the Manhattan Projects atomic bomb. After consulting with his advisors, Truman decided to drop the bomb on a Japanese city. There would be no warning. On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay dropped its atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Despite the horror caused by the bomb, the Japanese did not surrender. On August 9, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Even this did not bring an end to the war. Finally, on August 15 known from then on as V-J Daythe Japanese emperor Hirohito announced the end of the war.